David Platt backs John Guidetti for Manchester City return

David Platt is hopeful John Guidetti will return to the City first team before the end of the season.

John Guidetti of Feyenoord in action during the Dutch Eredivisie match

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David Platt is hopeful John Guidetti will return to the City first team before the end of the season.

The 20-year-old hasn’t played a competitive match for nearly nine months after being struck down by a virus while on loan at Dutch club Feyenoord last season.

At the time, Feyenoord doctor Casper van Eijck raised concerns that the Swedish striker may never play again after being diagnosed with an infected nerve that caused him to lose feeling in his right leg.

“It looks like some virus has got hold of him. You can’t treat a virus with medicines. He needs a lot of rest.’’

But hopes of a comeback were raised at the weekend when Guidetti was seen jogging and sprinting on the pitch before City’s 3-0 win over Stoke.

Platt is remaining cautious about the prospect of Guidetti, who made his City debut in the Carling Cup against West Brom in 2010, returning to the first team this season after such a long spell on the sidelines.

“He is getting better,” said Platt. “He has been out for a long period of time, and out to the point where he has not been able to do a great deal either.

“For about two or three months he couldn’t do anything and it takes a long time to get that back. Plus it was strange, I can’t even call it an injury. It was a virus.

“John’s back on the training pitch but he’s still some way off. He’s taking part in some of the sessions, he’s still in phase of rehabilitation.

“It’s possible he could play before the end of the season. I think if he continues to progress in the manner he is doing he will be back well before the end of the season.”

Guidetti – under contract at the Etihad until 2014 – enjoyed a successful loan spell at Feyenoord, scoring 20 goals in 23 games before his season was cut short.

Struggled

His form was good enough to earn an international debut against Croatia with Feyenoord coach Ronald Koeman insisting he could one day be as good as Sweden team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“I’ve coached them both,” said Koeman.

“Zlatan struggled a lot more than John to find his way in the Netherlands. John is on the same level as players such as Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart at that age. He arrived at the club and immediately adapted to his new surroundings.

“If you’re capable of that at the age of 19, and can be this important for a team, you’re going to become a big player. Simple as that.”